News and Articles

How important is the role brain scans can play in treating substance use disorders? In a recent presentation as part of the Williamsburg Place Lecture Series, psychiatrist Lantie Elisabeth Jorandby gave an overview of how one type of brain scan— single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)—can support the diagnosis and treatment of addictions and co-occurring mental disorders.

One in ten physicians develops a problem with alcohol or drugs at some point during their career. As in other professional occupations, superior levels of responsibility, accountability, and performance are typically demanded from doctors. Frequently, they hold the lives, livelihood, and future of their patients in their hands.

Consequently, it is not uncommon for physicians to turn to drugs and alcohol to handle the pressures of high expectations and work-related stress. Great responsibilities and long working hours can lead to burnout, a recognized problem among doctors.

What is elderhood and how is it different from retirement? That is one of the questions explored by gerontologist Jennifer Inker in a recent presentation as part of the Williamsburg Place Lecture Series. Inker is an instructor in the Department of Gerontology at Virginia Commonwealth University where she teaches psychology of aging, aging and human values, senior mentoring, and classes in the Assisted Living Administration track.

Calling for help if you or your loved one is suffering from addiction can be quite a challenge. Many families wait until they reach a moment of crisis before they reach out for help. It’s also not easy to know whom to call. Unfortunately, not everybody who advertises addiction treatment has your best interest at heart. Some players are more excited about getting their hands on your money than they are concerned about the success of your recovery.

There has been a lot of bad news about suicide lately. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that “suicide rates in the United States have risen nearly 30 percent since 1999,” on the same day that celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain died by suicide at the age of 61. His death came just days after fashion designer Kate Spade was found dead of an apparent suicide at age 55.

Stress affects many people in many professions. Stress in the legal profession, however, is typically severe. “Lawyers work in an adversarial system with demanding schedules and heavy workloads, which may contribute to increased stress levels,” confirms the American Bar Association.

Rehab is the foundation of your recovery from addiction, nothing more and nothing less. At The Farley Center at Williamsburg Place, patients lay the foundation they need through group work, relapse prevention education, and 12-Step integration to start a new life of sobriety.

Trauma and addiction are closely linked. According to the self-medication hypothesis of addiction, people frequently develop substance use disorders while attempting to manage distress associated with the effects of trauma. This theory suggests that people turn to alcohol and drugs to manage the intense flood of emotions and flashbacks associated with traumatic stress to numb themselves from the experience of these intense emotions.

The escalating opioid epidemic in the United States has dominated the headlines in recent years, and justifiably so. Drug overdose deaths are still at record levels in the United States: The latest statistics published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed an alarming 21 percent increase in the number of drugs overdose deaths in 2016 compared to 2015.